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Finalist Mauer denied fourth Gold Glove

Finalist Mauer denied fourth Gold Glove

6/8/13: Joe Mauer makes the magical look nonchalant, reaching behind his back for a no-look catch of a carom from the backstop

By Rhett Bollinger
/
MLB.com |

MINNEAPOLIS -- Joe Mauer will not be adding a fourth Gold Glove Award to his trophy collection this year.

The Twins catcher was one of three American League backstops named a finalist for the 2013 Rawlings Gold Glove Award on Friday but ultimately didn't come home with the honor on Tuesday night. Royals catcher Salvador Perez won his first Gold Glove, getting the nod over Mauer and the Orioles' Matt Wieters. Wieters won the award in each of the previous two seasons.

2013 Gold glove winners

POS

AL winner

NL winner

C

Salvador Perez, KC

Yadier Molina, STL

1B

Eric Hosmer, KC

Paul Goldschmidt, ARI

2B

Dustin Pedroia, BOS

Brandon Phillips, CIN

SS

J.J. Hardy, BAL

Andrelton Simmons, ATL

3B

Manny Machado, BAL

Nolan Arenado, COL

LF

Alex Gordon, KC

Carlos Gonzalez, COL

CF

Adam Jones, BAL

Carlos Gomez, MIL

RF

Shane Victorino, BOS

Gerardo Parra, ARI

P

R.A. Dickey, TOR

Adam Wainwright, STL

Mauer, who was the AL's starting catcher in the 2013 All-Star Game, was the recipient of the Gold Glove Award from 2008-10.

The Gold Glove had a new wrinkle this year, as since its inception in 1957, the honor relied solely on Major League managers and coaches votes to determine the best defensive players. But this season, managers and coaches got an assist from the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). For the first time, Rawlings collaborated with SABR to formally incorporate sabermetrics as a component of the Gold Glove Award.

A committee of experts in baseball analytics and defensive measurement devised the SABR Defensive Index (SDI), which draws on and aggregates two types of existing defensive metrics: those derived from batted ball, location-based data and those collected from play-by-play accounts.

The two metrics included in the SDI from play-by-play data are defensive regression analysis, created by committee member Michael Humphreys, and total zone rating.

The plan, according to Rawlings and SABR, was to have the SDI complement the judgment by the managers and coaches. The SABR Defensive Index accounted for 30 total votes -- or approximately 25 percent -- of the Gold Glove Award selection process, and was added to the votes from the managers and coaches.

Ballots were distributed to managers and coaches in September, and they received a revamped statistical resource guide as well.

Mauer, 30, had a strong season defensively, as he committed just two errors in 75 games behind the plate. He also led the AL by throwing out 43 percent of would-be basestealers.

Among advanced defensive statistics, Mauer also ranked third in the AL in defensive runs saved behind Perez and Indians catcher Yan Gomes. But he also only caught 658 2/3 innings, which was almost half the total caught by Wieters (1,201 innings) and Perez (1,115 1/3 innings).

Mauer also suffered a concussion on a foul tip on Aug. 19, and missed the rest of the season, putting his future behind the plate in doubt.

Mauer, though, has maintained that he wants to remain at catcher moving forward, and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said in a recent radio interview that Mauer is past his concussion symptoms.

Mauer was the lone Twins player to be named a finalist for the Gold Glove Award, as second baseman Brian Dozier and shortstop Pedro Florimon, who both had solid seasons defensively, were not named finalists. Boston's Dustin Pedroia won the award at second base while Baltimore's J.J. Hardy earned the honor at shortstop.